Sami Ahmad, TwoCircles.net
Patna: The much-publicised Pasmanda outreach programme of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is heading toward a crucial political test in Bihar, which now only months away from its next Assembly elections. While the BJP exudes confidence in gaining the support of the Pasmanda Muslim community, political analysts suggest the group remains largely out of the party’s reach.
Bihar continues to be the final hurdle for the BJP in the Hindi heartland. It remains the only major state where the party has never had its own chief minister – despite being part of the ruling coalition led by Nitish Kumar since 2005, barring a few short interruptions.
Analysts believe that the BJP is attempting to create confusion within the Pasmanda section to divide the Muslim vote – an effort seen primarily as a strategy to weaken the Lalu Prasad Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The RJD and its allies (the Congress and the Left) currently receive the bulk of Muslim support in Bihar, a community that constitutes approximately 17.7% of the state’s population.
About 72% of Muslims fall under the unofficial “Pasmanda” category – those belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) or Extremely Backward Classes (EBC).
The Muslim vote is considered decisive in at least 30 out of the 243 Assembly constituencies, particularly in districts like Kishanganj, Araria, Purnea, Katihar, Madhubani, Siwan, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Darbhanga and others. Pasmanda Muslims include communities such as Kunjra, Ansari, Mansoori, Rain, Darzi, Nai, Bakho, Lohar, Thathera and Faqir.
As part of its outreach efforts, the BJP’s minority cell launched the ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ programme during this year’s Eid, distributing kits (containing food items and clothes) among poor Muslims. Bihar was one of the key states where this initiative was rolled out, though it faced criticism for the poor quality and inappropriateness of the goods provided.
Earlier, on November 26, 2022, the BJP held an event in Patna on Constitution Day, aimed specifically at Pasmanda Muslims.
It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who first publicly called on the BJP to reach out to Pasmanda Muslims – described as the “deprived and downtrodden” – during the party’s national executive conclave in Hyderabad in 2022.
Notably, the party appointed Kamruzzama Ansari, a Pasmanda Muslim from Bhagalpur, as the president of its minority wing in September 2023. This was the first time a leader from the backward class of the Muslim community was given charge of the unit.
The BJP’s Pasmanda outreach is largely built around welfare schemes, with the party arguing that this section was denied benefits under previous governments led by Ashraf (elite) Muslim leadership.
Danish Iqbal, media in-charge of the Bihar BJP, while speaking to TwoCircles.net, underlined Modi’s vision of “mainstreaming Pasmanda” through welfare initiatives like direct benefit transfers (DBT).
“The BJP does not believe in appeasement. We believe in empowering the Pasmanda through social justice. Programmes like the PM Vishwakarma scheme are designed to benefit communities like them,” he said.
It is important to note that in Bihar, it was Nitish who first actively promoted Pasmanda politics, even nominating a few leaders from socio-economic downtrodden section to the Rajya Sabha. However, his political influence may be waning due to reported health concerns.
Danish, however, said that the NDA government under Nitish’s leadership has done significant work for the Pasmanda community. He cited the construction of boundary walls for more than 800 qabristans (graveyards) as an example of the NDA’s work for Muslims.
Bihar has also emerged as a stronghold of opposition against the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act. Yet, Danish presents a contrasting view, arguing that the new waqf law benefits the Pasmanda community. The BJP has been promoting the narrative that waqf properties were historically controlled and misused by Ashraf elites.
Shakil Ahmad, a three-time mukhiya (village head) from Pakri Barawan North, a Pasmanda-majority region in Nawadah district, disagrees with the BJP’s claims. “The Pasmanda community still remains out of BJP’s reach. If the party is serious about inclusion, it must first take a strong stand against mob lynching and ensure strict implementation, as most victims of such violence are Pasmandas,” he said.
It is widely believed that many perpetrators of mob lynching incidents enjoy political protection or sympathy, particularly from BJP quarters.
Responding to such concerns, Danish shifted the blame onto the RJD, claiming that most accused in lynching cases belonged to a specific caste and that the entire narrative around mob lynching was politically motivated.
Shakil also dismissed the claim that welfare schemes like DBT are part of a special outreach. “These schemes have existed for years. There is nothing new or specifically aimed at the Pasmanda. Even the ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ initiative falls short – during Eid, it is the community itself that helps the poor through fitrah and zakat (obligatory alms). Every needy family gets delicacies,” he added.
While the BJP criticises the RJD for sidelining Pasmanda leaders, it is notable that the party does not have any Muslim MLA in the Bihar Assembly. The NDA government in the state has just one Muslim minister – Zaman Khan (Minority Welfare Department) – who originally won his seat on a BSP ticket and later joined the JD(U).
“If the BJP is truly committed to its Pasmanda outreach, let it bring a law reserving Assembly and Lok Sabha seats for the Pasmanda community,” said Shakil.
Ali Anwar Ansari, a senior Pasmanda voice and founder of the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz (AIPMM), also views the BJP’s outreach as driven more by political convenience than genuine concern.
Many believe that the prime minister’s speeches during the 2024 general elections, often laced with communal undertones, alienated even sections of the Pasmanda community.
“There is a real sense of fear and insecurity among us due to the BJP’s Hindutva agenda,” Shakil said.
There are concerns that the BJP’s Pasmanda push, combined with Nitish’s legacy on the same issue, could fracture the Muslim vote, especially if even a small fraction of Pasmanda voters swing towards the NDA.
However, Danish claims that the party has already received Pasmanda support in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and hopes to replicate the same in Bihar.
Ajay Kumar, the state editor of the Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar, feels that the BJP leadership lacks a coherent and long-term plan for the Pasmanda communities.
“They try to gain support by announcing temporary schemes. There is no solid roadmap that can actually draw the Pasmanda community to them. The prevailing atmosphere of hate against Muslims also casts a shadow over their outreach,” he said.
He believes that the BJP’s Pasmanda outreach is unlikely to make a significant impact in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Shakil echoed the sentiment and stated, “Perhaps only the BJP minority cell office-bearers will end up voting for them.”
